IDFA is taking to social media Friday, Oct. 6, to celebrate dairy product manufacturing’s positive impact on the U.S. economy during National Manufacturing Day (MFG DAY) and is inviting members to join the celebration. MFG DAY garners hundreds of thousands of participants every year and provides an opportunity for IDFA and member companies to underscore the vital role of dairy manufacturers in the United States economy.

IDFA, an official endorser of MFG DAY, will engage its social audience of nearly 8,000 users on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with positive messages, facts and images illustrating the important work of dairy manufacturing companies. Members can search @dairyidfa on all three platforms for IDFA posts to share. The event’s hashtag is #MFGDAY17.

Members also can use IDFA’s economic impact tool to find data illustrating how they contribute to the economic vitality of their communities and then share it on their social media accounts. The tool generates sharable reports that measure the overall economic impact, direct jobs and wages of dairy product manufacturers.

First celebrated in 2012, MFG DAY is hosted by the National Association of Manufacturers. It is designed to improve public perception of manufacturing careers and address common misperceptions about manufacturing. It also gives manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors, both online and at MFG DAY events.

Last year, nearly 600,000 people participated in MFG DAY activities. In 2015, 80 million learned about the event on Discovery Communication’s Science Channel and from the TV show “How it’s Made,” and MFG DAY news articles reached an audience of almost 60 million people. The event hashtag became a trending topic on Facebook and Twitter in 2015.

Learn more about National Manufacturing Day at MFGDAY.com. Members with questions may contact Audra Kruse, IDFA manager of communications, at socialmedia@idfa.org.